Hello and welcome!
I’m Dr Ben Miles, I have a PhD in Nano optics and Nanophysics from the University of Bristol, and I’m:
the Founder and CEO of Spin Up Science - a company building commercial skills and supporting scientists to create ventures from their discoveries
the Cofounder and Director of Science Angel Syndicate - a membership of angel investors that invests in science-backed startups improving the health of people or the health of the planet
the Cofounder and CEO of Protolyst - a knowledge management platform that started as an internal tool in Spin Up Science, which I describe as Notion meets Roam Research
I’m an Honorary Lecturer in Entrepreneurship at the University of Bristol
I’m a Non-Executive Director for a few companies
Oh, and I run a YouTube channel - Dr Ben Miles - where I share things I find interesting, typically around science, startups, and the world in-between.
I wanted to start to commit more of what I’m doing on a week-to-week basis to paper to share some insight on what it is I actually do. Partly so I can look back and remember, partly as I hope it demystifies some of the topics I’m involved in which often feel difficult to permeate, and partly as an exercise in remembering to not only deliver “the work” but also to reflect on it and enjoy it.
This week was a big week.
I wanted to start with “It was the culmination of…” but it isn’t, in many ways it’s just the start. Last week we announced our first investment through Science Angel Syndicate into WASE who are cleaning up the waste water from the food and drink industry to prevent it leaking into the environment, and converting it into bio-energy. Beyond the fantastic technology and the mission behind the business, I was particularly excited about this company because of the team, specifically Dr Thomas Fudge, who really embodies a lot of the ideal characteristics I’d look for in a founder and CEO - deep scientific knowledge around his field, confidence in his leadership and exceptional with his team, and focused on making sure his company delivers real impact in reducing waste runoff and CO2 levels.
On Wednesday, we formally incorporated Transdermal Diagnostics Ltd, a new member of Spin Up Science Ventures portfolio aiming to bring the world’s first needle-free approach to sensing blood sugar to help diabetics manage their disease. Diabetes is a really tough disease and a precursor for a lot of further comorbidities if not managed effectively. Unfortunately, diabetics have limited options in how they manage their blood sugar levels; either drawing blood through painful finger prick tests up to 8-10 times per day, or using expensive continuous glucose monitors that are cost prohibitive to most diabetics.
Transdermal Diagnostics are looking to introduce a daily wearable patch that costs £1-2 a day and measures blood sugar levels without breaking the skin or requiring calibration against finger prick tests. A picture of an (early) prototype of their daily disposable patch is below:
We also received news that another of our ventures, EnsiliTech who are still in the process of forming their company, secured £300,000 to aid in their mission to remove the need to transport vaccines and other life saving medicines under refrigeration, otherwise known as the “vaccine cold chain.” Failures in the cold chain can mean as much as 50% of vaccines produced spoil before they ever reach the intended recipient.
EnsiliTech employs what I can best describe as a technique analogous to Han Solo’s freezing in Carbonite to form a protective layer around individual vaccine components that remove the need for transport or storage at cold temperatures.
All in all, a good week. And I hope the start of something I start of me regularly penning down my thoughts and reflections on some of the things I’m doing.
See you all next week!
Ben